Created Desire #5: SECURITY

We all have in us a desire to feel safe and secure.  Did you or do your kids have a security blanket or a stuffed animal that they need to sleep with every night? Do you remember Linus in the old Peanuts cartoons?  He took his blanket with him wherever he went.  It’s good for kids to feel secure, in fact, studies show that kids who attach to an object such as a blanket or a stuffed animal tend to be more independent then those who don’t.  Because they feel secure they can assert independence, which is healthy. 

As adults, we too have a need for security but it often looks different then carrying around a blanket.  Some examples of security needs for most women include making sure their family has some sort of steady employment income, feeling like you’re living in a safe neighborhood or that you have good shelter or housing. Security is the need to feel safe, to feel assured that you know what is going to happen, to know ahead of time what the plans are…there’s an element of being in control. When we feel like our lives are out of control it’s STRESSFUL.  Feeling like your life is out of control can lead to fear and anxiety.

What are some of the things in your life that make you feel secure?

·         Financial security – regular income, savings account, lowering debt, etc.

·         Personal Security – house, family, car, insurance, faith in God, friends

·         Health and well-being – being healthy

·         Safety net against accidents or illness – life insurance, living in a safe community

David was a man who went through a lot of stressful circumstances, often his life may have seemed out of control:

·         David was a shepherd who had to deal with wild animals who attacked the sheep

·         David played music for Saul and Saul threw a spear at him

·         David stood up to Goliath

·         David had to run and hide from Saul in the wilderness and in caves because Saul wanted to kill him.  This lasted many years.

·         David’s adulterous night with Bathsheba turned into a pregnancy (talk about stress!!!), he decided to deal with the problem himself which lead to murder (imagine the stress of his guilty conscience)

·         David’s children rebelled greatly, even tried to kill him… imagine the stress of the possibility of losing your Kingdom to your rebellious child who wants to kill you!!!

David had many reasons to feel afraid and feel a lack of security in his life BUT look at what he writes:

Psalm 62:1-2  ¹ My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. ² He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (NIV)

When David wrote this Scripture his son Absalom was trying to oust him off the throne and David was forced to flee to the desert. Basically he was losing his job as king to his son who is trying to kill him and steal the throne – talk about stress! It is at this point in his life when he penned those verses. David had found a true source of security – God.  Did David have some superhuman characteristics in order to help him with the stress in his life? No, in fact, we probably have a lot more tools at our disposal to deal with stress then David did. What made David so secure in the midst of all the chaos in his life? David could find rest in the Lord because he had a strong relationship with God, he had developed a lifestyle of prayer.

Security in God depends on your relationship with Him

Psalm 91:1-2 ¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ² I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust (NIV)

Who is the person that has security in God?  It is the person who DWELLS in the SHELTER of the Most High. Dwelling refers to a permanent residence, the place that one calls home. Shelter refers to a place of protection, a covering, a place of security. Feeling security in God is not about the power of positive thinking in the midst of your tough circumstance, it’s not about Dr. Phil’s ten step program to feel more control of your life. Feeling secure is about knowing God, it’s about having a faith that comes out of your relationship with God, it’s about knowing who God is and that everything will be OK because He is in control. This isn’t something that you can pretend or fake, this is something that can only be cultivated in relationship with God through an active prayer life.

A Healthy Prayer Life = Security in God

God wants to work through our prayers.  Your marriage won’t be fixed if you’re not praying about it. Your kids won’t change and grow if you’re not praying for them.  Your business, your friendships…everything in your life has the potential to grow and change through prayer.  As we pray we begin to trust God more and find our security in Him. Prayer and security are interrelated. It’s in your prayer life where you release the troubles and problems in your life over to Him. It’s in your prayer life where you learn to trust Him, it’s where your faith grows and where you can give your stuff over to Him and are released from fear and anxiety. Your prayer life is a reflection of: 1) your personal level of humility, 2) your personal trust and faith in God and 3) the love and passion you have for God. 

Think about this, if you don’t have a prayer life, what can you infer about yourself? 1) You have pride - you don’t need God so you do it all on your own, 2) You don’t trust Him or have faith in Him - you harbor unbelief about His ability to work in your circumstances, or 3) You don’t really love Him - you can’t love someone that you NEVER talk to or spend time with…would your husband love you if he never talked to you again and completely ignored you?

Prayer needs to be part of your Daily Devotions

What should you pray about on a regular basis? Pray about the Scripture that you are reading (see Read-Listen-Pray  Scripture blog post).  Pray for yourself, your family, the church/your ministry or anything else God places on your heart.  If you struggle with your prayer life there are a few things that you can consider: 1) Personal Prayer Ministry Appointment, 2) After Service Prayer or 3) Encounter Retreat, or of you don’t live in the Steinbach area – email me using the contact us page.  I’d be happy to help you. 

Conclusion

Talking about prayer really won’t change your life, praying will.  Think about two prayer requests that you may have. 

1.       An area where you would like to grow in your walk with God

2.       Something in your personal life that needs prayer

Spend a few moments in quiet reflection, ask the Lord to remind you of a verse or give you a word, thought or picture about each request.  Write these things in your journal.  Then spend a few moments praying about these things!  Commit to doing this regularly and you’re on your way to finding your security in God!